First Date
by FosterStinson
Summary: Wally and Artemis attempt to turn their awkward first date around


_Well… this is extremely awkward._ thought both Wally and Artemis, who were sitting across from each other. Wally was slightly leaning back in his chair, his menu flat against the table. Artemis was completely hiding behind her menu. This was their first date. They had kissed on New Year's, and now it was four days later. They thought everything was fine, but Megan kept insisting that part of being a couple was going on dates. So here they were, at a diner in Central City with absolutely nothing to talk about.

Artemis peaked her head above the menu and when Wally noticed he gave her an awkward smile and ceased leaning back.

"So… do you know what you wanna get?" asked Wally.

"Umm… I think I might get the bacon cheeseburger." Artemis awkwardly replied.

"That's always a great choice." Replied Wally.

They continued to set in their in silence until the waiter showed up. "Would you two like to order?"

"Yes!" shouted both of them at the same time. "We would _love_ to order!" said Wally. "That would just be fantastic!" said Artemis.

After they ordered the waiter walked away and they continued to sit in awkward silence.

"Okay, Artemis look, I had absolutely no idea that it was going to be this awkward." confessed Wally.

"Yeah, I guess neither of us just really know what to do." Concurred Artemis.

"Well, why don't we just try to talk like we normally do."

"Alright, that might work. How do our conversations usually start off?"

"Well, it varies. Sometimes Megan's there for me to hit on, which I won't do anymore, I swear, and then you'll yell at me for being an idiot, or Roy's there to insult you, but I don't think we'll be seeing him much anymore because of the whole finding the real Roy thing…"

"Yeah… do we really never have real conversations?"

"No! We have plenty of real conversations! Like… um… like… like this one!"

Artemis glared at him.

"Yeah, I know. This sucks."

Silence once again.

"So…" began Wally. "When you first became a hero, what made you decide to pretend to be Green Arrow's niece?"

The question took Artemis by surprise. "Honestly? I was embarrassed. Ashamed. I saw you and the team fighting Amazo in the school gym, and I thought that I wanted in. But I thought that if you guys knew who my family was, you wouldn't trust me."

"In all honesty, I probably wouldn't have trusted you. I hate to say it, but it's true. Back then, I was an idiot. But I'm glad you came clean eventually, now I know that I can trust you with anything."

Artemis then gave him a genuine smile. She knew when he wasn't too busy being Wally, he could actually be really sweet.

"So, I know it's been a while, but tell me what it was like in Megan's mind mission. Tell me what it was like thinking I was dead."

This question took Wally by surprise, so much so that he almost choked on his drink.

"Oh, um, well, it was uh…" Wally was flustered for an answer, but he saw the genuinely curious look in Artemis's eyes and he knew what to say. "It was terrible. When I saw you die, it felt like my entire world had just collapsed and that it could never be put back together again. I swore that I would kill every last alien to avenge you. And at one point, when we found Zeta radiation coming off of the blasters, I refused to believe you were dead. I wouldn't let myself. I couldn't. Because, thinking of a world without you in it… well that's hardly a world worth saving." He said completely sincerely, and he was nervous while he was talking. He was unsure of how Artemis would react. But seeing the look on her face made it worth it. The look was a combination of shock and feeling extremely touched. However, it then turned into a smirk.

"I know. Megan told me all about it a few days after therapy. I just wanted to hear you say it." She laughed.

Wally's jaw dropped. "You are evil!"

"But you can't stand the thought of losing me."

"That is crafty. I can't believe you just manipulated me like that."

"Oh like you would have done any different."

He sighed. "You you're probably right."

"It does mean a lot though. To know that you cared about me so much."

"Well, come on, how could I not? You're awesome. I think it was after that mission that I actually realized how I felt about you." He confessed.

"Really? That long ago?"

Wally just nodded and smiled.

"Well why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I don't know I guess I was just too afraid of screwing things up."

"Well, at least you finally grew some balls at New Year's."

Wally chuckled as the waiter set down their food.

"Thank you." Said both of them as they began eating. And from then on, it wasn't awkward anymore. They talked and had fun, giving a meaningful ending to a first date that started out awful.


End file.
